Appeasement

Question 1

What were the interpretations

Answer 1

• popular majority view
• popular + political view
• orthodox (Churchill) view
• rehabilitating Chamberlain
• Academic revisionist view
• Academic counter-revisionist view

Question 2

What was popular majority view and when was it

Answer 2

1937-38
‘well done chamberlain’
- rated as a hero coming back after singing the Munich agreement
- chamberlain kept war at bay to give peace a chance
- supported by the US

• interpretation did not last long, British ppl felt guilty - critics of the appeasement were Churchill and David low

Question 3

What was the popular and political view and when was it

Answer 3

1939-1948
- appeasement was foolish, cowardly and immoral policy
- during ww2 new view developed
-‘guilty men’ by Cato - 1940
- cato’s argument was since 1931 concession to Japan, Italy and Germany strengthened their dictators but weakened UK
-british ppl felt ashamed of the Munich agreement after war broke out

• this interpretation looked for a scapegoat - chamberlain - Halifax calls to surrender
• guilty men helped Churchill defeat Halifax and also become prime minister =. turned appeasement into a dirty word

Question 4

What was the orthodox view and when was it

Answer 4

1948-60
- end of ww2 - gathering storm by Churchill, it was critical of chamberlain and says he miscalculates hitler
- Churchill factor - wellknwn for self promotion ‘history will be kind me as I shall write the history - he is bitter for losing the election
- two superpowers threat of USSR.
USA, UK, and allies should stand up to the USSR
- wasn’t Churchill who thought this, heavily influential
no academic challenges in the 40’s and 50’s
- influences politicise like Truman

Question 5

What is the Academic revisionist view and when was it

Answer 5

1960-1990
- historians began to challenge the orthodox view as new evidence came into light
- AJP TAYLOR argued hitler had no clear plan
- Chamberlain cannot be blamed
- Watt argued Chamberlains faced many problems, hitler was one of them and chamberlain gave Britain time
-
radical thinking in 1960’s encouraged the view , Vietnam war, new sources all changed the view
- led to new studies and new debates in the 70’s and 80’s

Question 6

what is the academic counter-revisionist view and when was it

Answer 6

1990-2000
- questions whether chamberlain really had no choice.
-1993 Parker developed the counter-revisionist approach
-didnt fully revert but did not accept that he had no choice
- chamberlain was partly responsible
- chamberlain overrated his own abilities, failed to understand Hitler, ignored the advice of others and betrayed Czechs

• not a dramatic effect/impact like orthodox or revisionist, however continued to stir academic debate
• led to exploration of chamberlains options